“That’s not right, Miss Alder,” he said in a firm but gentle voice. “You have more than you realize.”

Naomi could barely keep her eyes open. The cold was beginning to seep into her body, and with each passing second she felt her strength waning.

Arthur fully opened the limousine door.

—Please. First, get in the car. I’ll explain the rest inside.

Naomi looked once more at the enormous stone house behind the fence.

The lights were off.

The door is closed.

Nobody was watching.

Nobody came.

He held Sophie close to his chest and gathered the last of his strength to stand up. Arthur gently helped her into the car.

Inside, the heat immediately enveloped her.

A woman in medical uniform leaned towards her.

“I’m a nurse,” she said quickly. “Let’s check on her. She just gave birth, didn’t she?”

Naomi nodded weakly.

The nurse covered Sophie with another blanket.

—The baby is cold, but she’s okay.

Arthur sat across from Naomi as the limousine began to move slowly down the snowy road.

For several minutes nobody spoke.

Naomi was trembling as she tried to regain her warmth.

Finally, he looked up.

—Arthur… what’s going on?

The man looked at her with a mixture of sadness and relief.

—Your grandfather, Mr. Harold Alder… knew this day might come.

Naomi frowned.

—What do you mean?

Arthur took a leather folder from the seat next to him.

—Before he died, his grandfather created a trust.

Naomi denied it.

—That doesn’t make sense. My grandfather barely had any money.

Arthur opened the folder and slid some documents into it.

—That’s what I wanted everyone to think.

Naomi looked at the papers with difficulty.

There were legal stamps.

Signatures.

Numbers.

Lots of numbers.

-What is this?

Arthur took a deep breath.

—His grandfather was one of the first investors in a technology company forty years ago.

Naomi looked at him, uncomprehending.

—A company that today is called **Helios Systems**.

Naomi’s eyes opened.

—That’s impossible…

Helios Systems was one of the largest technology companies in the world.

Arthur nodded.

—His grandfather never sold his shares.

Naomi felt like the world was spinning.

-How much…?

Arthur spoke calmly.

—After taxes, approximately one billion dollars.

The limousine continued moving forward as the snow gently tapped against the windows.

Naomi couldn’t breathe.

—No… that can’t be real.

Arthur looked at her with a slight smile.

-It is.

—Why… did you never tell me anything?

Arthur slowly closed the folder.

—Because I knew that money changes people.

The answer hit her harder than the cold.

—He wanted to make sure that someone loved you for who you are… not for what you own.

Naomi thought about Gavin.

At home.

In the bet.

One hundred thousand dollars.

A bitter laugh escaped her lips.

—Well… I guess that test ended tonight.

Arthur nodded.

-Yeah.

The limousine stopped at a traffic light.

Arthur looked out the window towards the hill where the Redfield estate was still visible in the distance.

—By the way… —he said— your grandfather’s lawyer has already initiated legal action.

Naomi looked up.

—What actions?

Arthur responded with absolute serenity.

—Attempted abandonment of a recently operated mother and a newborn.

—Attempted child abduction.

-Defamation.

Naomi felt like her mind could barely keep up.

Arthur added:

—And also marriage fraud.

-Fraud?

Arthur nodded.

—Her marriage to Gavin Redfield was registered under deceptive circumstances. He concealed that the marriage was part of a financial gamble.

Naomi remembered every word Gavin had said in front of the fence.

Arthur continued:

—Our lawyers believe the court will annul the marriage… and also award her substantial compensation.

Naomi closed her eyes.

Not out of sadness.

Due to exhaustion.

Out of disbelief.

After a moment, he asked in a low voice:

—Where are we going?

Arthur smiled slightly.

—Go home.

Naomi frowned.

—I no longer have a home.

Arthur pointed out the window.

The limousine turned onto a wide avenue lined with snow-covered trees.

In the distance, a huge, illuminated property appeared.

An elegant, modern, completely restored mansion.

—Your grandfather bought this property years ago —Arthur explained—. He set it up for you.

Naomi looked at the house as the limousine pulled up in front of the entrance.

The doors opened.

Service staff were waiting with blankets and heaters.

The nurse helped Naomi get down.

As she walked towards the door, Naomi turned her gaze back towards the distant hill where the Redfield estate was located.

Arthur spoke softly beside her.

—Are you thinking of returning?

Naomi looked at Sophie, asleep against her chest.

Then he looked back towards the hill.

-No.

Arthur nodded.

—Wise decision.

Naomi took a step inside the house.

The heat enveloped her.

The doors closed.

In the distance, on the hill, Gavin Redfield was celebrating a $100,000 bet with his friends.

Without knowing…

who had bet against a woman who had just become a billionaire heiress.

And that same night…

He had also lost everything.